Category Archives: Culture

Your workplace culture is powerful. It can transform your organisation and the lives of your people, and ultimately it determines your success. This success is realised through the achievements of your people so you need to ensure they are a 'cultural fit', meaning their beliefs and behaviours align with your workplace culture. In addition, you must create the conditions for them to succeed.

10 ideas to help you create your workplace culture

1. Create a values statement because your values will be at the heart of everything you do. Your values could include teamwork, being accountable or positive or respecting yourself and others for example.2. Lead by example using those values because your behaviour sets the tone for your organisation. Be visible and credible, know your stuff and walk the talk.3. Develop coaching skills to enable your managers to link your organisation's values and reinforce the behaviour you want to see at all levels. You'll get more from your teams, boost employee engagement and develop a high performing workplace.4. Incorporate your values into your hiring, however, get the balance right between hiring for cultural fit and hiring a team of identical people. If everyone thinks and behaves the same, you will lack creativity and be less competitive.5. Empower your team by helping them grow into their roles by supporting and encouraging them to take on more challenging responsibilities. You'll shift them from being closely directed to being self-directed and motivated in their tasks.6. Develop personal accountability by creating clear expectations and a culture of peer to peer accountability. Encourage your team to hold each other accountable to those decisions and standards. Focussing on accountability more than popularity is tough love.7. Provide continued learning because learning raises an individual as a person and as an employee which increases job satisfaction. It also increases their abilities to adapt to change which will help your organisation remain competitive.8. Make them feel valued by recognising their achievements and milestones, even small ones. You'll raise their self-esteem and create a positive workplace.9. Demonstrate respect because respectful treatment is a major contributor of job satisfaction, so listen, show you care, help and encourage. Conversely, a culture of disrespect will drain morale, reduce productivity and may even lead to bullying.10. Build a cohesive team to get more done, bring success and improve your bottom line. In addition, your ability to build a good team and to help them feel part of it could be one of the most altruistic things you ever do!

Culture is all about people, so build a people firstculture. Use leadership skills to establish your vision and values, then use your people management skills to give them the opportunity to grow and succeed.

Creating your organisation's ideal workplace culture won't be easy. However, it will be worthwhile because it influences everything and everyone. Increased trust, commitment, teamwork and sense of well-being will boost your productivity and profits.

And when you've created a people first culture where people are engaged in their work and enjoy working together to get things done, how proud will you feel?

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Advancing Business people are a professional skills development company based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. We help companies and individuals achieve results from greater understanding of themselves, and others to foster better working relationships and collaboration.